Hobby horse



Jan. 2, 1934.

- R. O. STOCKIL HOBBY HORSE Filed June 2. 195

2 Sheets-Sheet l d/HIOM Jan. 2, 1934. I I R Q STOCK; 1,941,722

HOBBY HORSE Filed June 2. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gwwwfoz 3.0.510 cziz Q WWW Patented Jan. 2, 1934 UNITED STATES- PATENT QFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to hobby horses, and it is an object of the invention to provide a device of this kind which is constructed and assembled in a manner to afford amusement and at the same time to provide healthy exercise for the user.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this kind especially designed for use by small children and which comprises a structure wherein the body of the device is supported for swinging or oscillating movement in a manner to assure its efiective balance at all times.

The invention consists in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved hobby horse whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the acompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a hobby horse constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary detailed sectional View taken substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow;

Figure 3 is a view in top plan of the device as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow;

Figure 5 is a detailed sectional view taken substantially on the line 5.5 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrow.

' As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, F denotes a base frame or supporting structure comprisinga pair of longitudinally disposed beams 1 arranged in parallelism and spaced apart 'a desired distance. The extremities of these beams 1 rest upon the transversely disposed sills 2 and are anchored thereto by the rivets 3 or otherwise as may be preferred to assure a rigid structure. The sills 2, as herein disclosed, project a material distance outwardly beyond the beams 1 thus substantially eliminating the liability of the device in its entirety having lateral tilting or turning over movement.

The opposite end portions of the beams l are 55 connected by the transversely disposed pivot bolts 4 each of which being freely disposed through the lower end portions of a pair of leg members 5 or 6. The members of each of said pairs having interposed therebetween a spacing sleeve '7.

The legs or members 5 or 6 are of duplicate construction and the members or legs 5 are somewhat in simulationof the rear limbs of an animal and disposed upwardly and rearwardly with respect to the base frame or supporting structure F and have their upper end portions pivotally connected by the bolt 8 to the lower portion of the rear part of the body B. The lower portion of the rear part of the body B is received between the upper end portions of the legs or members 5 and to the inner faces of said upper pivoted portions of the legs are secured the blocks 9 to assure a spacing between the body B and said upper pivoted portions of the legs or members 5. These blocks 9 are also provided with lower straight edges 10 to provide a means to be hereinafter more particularly referred to for limiting the extent of swinging or oscillating movement of the body B in one direction.

The blocks 9 space the legs or members 5 away from the body B a distance sufficient to permit the ready and free placement between the members or legs 5 of the members or legs 6. These members or legs 6 are somewhat in simulation of the front legs of an animal and have their upper for- S5 ward end portions pivotally connected, as at 11, to the lower part of the forward portion of the body B while the opposite end portions of these legs or members 5 are in pivotal connection with the rear bolt 4.

It is to be noted that the mountings of the pair of legs or members 5 and the pair of legs or members 6 are such that said pairs are in crossed relation with the pivotal connections 8'and 11 with the body B spaced apart a distance less than the distance between the pivot bolts 4 and with said pivotal connections 8 and 11 at all times arranged between the bolts 4. This arrangement and assembly is of decided advantage as it assures the body B being normally under effective balance 10 and. more especially substantially horizontally disposed, as illustrated in Figure 1, when not in use or at rest.

In the accompanying drawings, the body B is illustrated as in simulation of a horse although it is thought to be obvious that it may be of other form or design if preferred.

Suitably affixed to the upper edge of the body B immediately adjacent to the neck portion 12 thereof and between the pivotal connections 8 and 11 is a seat 14 which is adapted to be occupied by the user. This seat 14 projects a material distance beyond the opposite sides of the body B and to the opposite faces of said body B immediately below the forward portion of the seat 14 are the depending blocks 15 in simulation of saddle bags or the like. Each of these blocks 15, as particularly illustrated in Figure 5, gradually increases in thickness from its upper end toward its lower end. The major thicknesses of the blocks 15 are such to assure the nether limbs of the child occupying the seat 14 being disposed beyond the outer sides of the legs or members 5 so that there is eliminated the liability of the nether limbs being caught between the legs or members 5 and 6 while the body B is in motion.

Secured to the upper portions of the blocks 15 are the top portions of the straps 16, each of which carrying a stirrup ring 17 to receive the foot of a child especially a small infant.

In order that the hobby horse may be eifectively employed by a relatively large child each of the legs or members 5 at a point preferably slightly below its longitudinal center is provided with an outwardly disposed foot rest 18. This rest 18, when the body B is in its normal position as particularly illustrated in Figure 1, is disposed on an angle to the longitudinal axis of the associated member or leg 5 so that said rest will be positioned in the most effective position to be engaged by the foot of the user.

The lower rear part of the neck portion 12 of the body B is provided with the hand holds 19 extending beyond opposite sides thereof and which hand holds are especially advantageous for use by a small infant.

The construction and assembly of the hobby horse as herein disclosed is such as to substantially eliminate any tendency of creeping and the forward oscillating or swinging movement of the body B is limited by contact of the lower or straight edges 10 of. the blocks 9 with the upper edges of the legs or members 5 while the movement of the body B in the opposite direction is limited by contact of the blocks 15 with the legs or members 6.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a hobby horse constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim: a

l. A hobby horse comprising a base structure, a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to the forward portion of the base structure, a second pair of members pivotally connected with the rear portion of the base structure, a body, the opposite end portions of the first pair of mem-- bers being pivotally connected to the rear portion of the body and the opposite end portions of the members of the second pair being pivotally connected with the forward portion of the body, the distance between the pivotal connections of the members with the body being less than the distance between the pivotal connections between said members and the base structure.

2. A hobby horse comprising a base structure, a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to the forward portion of the base structure, a second pair of members pivotally connected with the rear portion of the base structure, a body, the opposite end portions of the first pair of members being pivotally connected to the rear portion of the body and the opposite end portions of the members of the second pair being pivotally connected with the forward portion of the body, the distance between the pivotal connections of the members with the body being less than the distance between the pivotal connections between said members and the base structure, the pivotal connections of the members with the body being also interposed between the pivotal connections of said members with the base structure.

3. A hobby horsecomprising a base structure, a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to the forward portion of the base structure, a second pair of members pivotally connected with the rear portion of the base structure, a body, the opposite end portions of the first pair of members being pivotally connected to the rear portion of the body and the opposite end portions of the members of the second pair being pivotally connected with the forward portion of the body, the distance between the pivotal connections of the members with the body being less than the distance between the pivotal connections between said members and the base structure, and means carried by one pair of members for coaction with the second pair of members to limit the movement of the body in one direction.

4. A hobby horse comprising a base structure, a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to the forward portion of the base structure, a second pair of members pivotally connected with the rear portion of the base structure, a body, the opposite end portions of the first pair of members being pivotally connected to the rear portion of the body and the opposite end portions of the members of the second pair being pivotally connected with the forward portion of the body, the distance between the pivotal connections of the members with the body being less than the distance between the pivotal connections between said members and the base structure, a seat structure carried by the body, andblocks secured to the opposite faces of the body below the seat structure, said blocks providing means to prevent a nether limb being caught between the members.

5. A hobby horse comprising a base structure, a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to the forward portion of the base structure, a

second pairof members pivotally connected with the rear portion of the base structure, a. body, the opposite end portions of the first pair of members being pivotally connected to the rear portion of the body and the opposite'end portions of the members of the second pair being pivotally connected with the forward portion of the body, the distance between the pivotal connections of the members with the body being less than the distance between the pivotal connections between said members and the base structure, a seat structure carried by the body, and blocks secured to the opposite faces of the body below the seat structure, said blocks providing means to prevent a nether limb being caught between the members, said blocks also having contact with a pair of the members for limiting the movement of the body in one direction.

6. A hobby horse comprising a base structure, a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to the forward portion of the base structure, a second pair of members pivotally connected with the rear portion of the base structure, a body, the opposite end portions of the first pair of members being pivotally connected to the rear portion of the body and the opposite end portions of the members of the second pair being pivotally connected with the forward portion of the body, the distance between the pivotal connections of the members with the body being less than the distance between the pivotal connections between said members and the base structure, and a foot rest carried by each of the members of one of the pairs.

7. A hobby horse comprising a base structure, a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to the forward portion of the base structure, a second pair of members pivotally connected with the rear portion of the base structure, a body, the opposite end portions of the first pair of members being pivotally connected to the rear portion of the body and the opposite end portions of the members of the second pair being pivotally connected with the forward portion of the body, the distance between the pivotal connections of the members with the body being less than the distance between the pivotal connections between said members and the base structure, and a foot rest carried by each of the members of the first named pair.

8. A hobby horse comprising a base structure, a pair of elongated members pivotally connected to the forward portion of the base structure, a second pair of members pivotally connected with the rear portion of the base structure, a body, the opposite end portions of the first pair of members being pivotally connected to the rear portion of the body and the opposite end portions of the members of the second pair being pivotally connected with the forward portion of the body, the distance between the pivotal connections of the members with the body being less than the distance between the pivotal connections between said members and the base structure, a seat structure carried by the body, blocks secured to the opposite faces of the body below the seat structure, said blocks providing means to prevent a nether limb being caught between the members, straps secured to the upper portions of the blocks and extending downwardly over the outer faces thereof, and a stirrup carried by the lower portion of each of the straps.

RAYMOND OSBORNE STOCKIL. 

